Polish Youth Gets 12 Years for Murdering Two Jews

A 22-year-old Polish youth who confessed to the murder last February of two Jews was sentenced yesterday to twelve years’ imprisonment and deprived of citizenship for ten years.

The youth, Alexander Barylka, told the court he committed the murders under the influence of articles in the anti-Semitic Nationalist press.

Although Barylka admitted robbing his victims after he had slain them with an axe, the public prosecutor said he was convinced the robbery motive was secondary and that the youth had apparently been influenced by the views propagated in certain circles that murder inspired by racial grounds must be treated as having extenuating circumstances.

Symbolic damages of one zloty each were awarded to the families of the victims, Leib Tannenbaum, 70, and Melech Goldwasser, 40. The court, in passing sentence, said it would have been more severe except for the prisoner’s youth.